A Rogue's Tale

The Missing Part: Part 4

It was getting on dinnertime, when Rogue heard a banging on her door. She had forgotten that she had locked it. "Hey, Rogue, open up!" She heard Fred's voice from outside the door.

She got up off the bed after finishing that last question of her geometry homework. She unlocked the door to see big Fred Dukes standing there with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, Freddie," she said.

"Dinner's almost ready," he said.

"Who's cookin' t'night?" she asked.

"Lance," he said and didn't look thrilled. "So, it's spaghetti and meatballs."

"Well, it's the only thing he can cook," Rogue said, wearing a sarcastic smile and Fred had to agree with her.

"So, are you okay?" Fred asked her. "You were kind of upset on the way home."

"Yeah, ah was," she said but she wondered if that was true. "It's just that guy..."

"Don't worry about him," Fred said and made a fist. "If he bothers you again..." He punched the wall outside her door leaving a dent in the wall.

"Careful of that," Rogue said and laughed. It was kind of pointless locking her door seeing these boys could work around that, and even if she didn't have the kind if powers she did, she didn't really need to worry about safety. Fred had somehow made himself her protector, and none of the other boys were about to test his wrath. "Ah'll be down in a minute. Ah just want to change clothes."

"Okay, I'll see you downstairs, and don't worry about Toad," Fred said as Rogue looked over at him. "He won't bother you anymore."

Rogue just rolled her eyes and shut her door. She changed into her dark gray sweat pants and a long sleeve black t-shirt and a pair of cotton gloves. She looked over at her nightstand where the card laid and wondered who that boy really was. She was going to find out... even if he was supposed to be her enemy.

When she came down to dinner, she was greeted by a group of boisterous boys who barely acknowledged her existence. She sat down at the dinner table next to Mystique, who was sitting at the head of the table. Fred was sitting next to her, and the trio from hell were on the other side. She had observed the sight of them in the midst of a food fight just as she sat down.

"Would you three knock it off!" Mystique yelled over at them. They ignored her and just kept throwing food. Rogue ducked and avoided being hit by a saucy meatball, but Fred took it as a challenge and was using his mouth as a basketball hoop and caught most of the food thrown his way. "STOP IT, ALL OF YOU!!!!"

Silence filled the room after Mystique had screamed to the top of her lungs. Rogue thought it was now safe to get something to eat without the fear of being a target. The boys had a look of paranoia about their facing knowing how much of a temper the blue woman had, while Rogue didn't fear her at all. True, she had only been here a few days, but they learned right away their new teammate wasn't afraid of anything.

The rest of dinner was taken in silence and Rogue was glad. She needed to clear her mind after the things that happened that day, and when she looked up at Mystique, she could sense that the woman knew something was wrong, even though she didn't say anything.

Rogue took her time in eating her spaghetti when a memory popped into her mind. She was at a small café eating what looked like breakfast, and there she saw that strange boy from school. She dropped her fork and ran from the table. She passed through the outside doors leading to their enclosed training area. Her heart was pounding in her chest, remembering what Remy told her earlier that day, that she didn't remember him but she would. Perhaps it was all just a mind trick, thinking that she was manipulating herself into thinking that it was a real memory.

"It's not real," she whispered as she held onto the pole on the back porch.

"What's not real?" She turned around and gasped seeing Mystique standing there looking worried.

"Nothing, just some stupid daydream," Rogue said and sat down on one of the stone stoops.

"Blob told me a boy was hassling you at school today," she said and Rogue looked up at her. Damn it, Fred. Why did he have to say anything? "Is that true?"

"No...not really... it's just that he's friends with those x-freaks that attacked me back home, so ah told him to leave me alone."

"I see," she said and walked back to the back door. "Everything will be taken care of."

Rogue didn't want to know what that meant. For all the good things this woman had done for her, she still didn't trust her for some reason. She would bide her time and see how things went. She still felt something strange was going on and she was going to find out what it was, one way or another.

Rogue returned to her room and finished up her homework before going to bed, hoping she didn't have any more of those weird dreams.

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Later on that night, the mysterious blue woman known as Mystique left her home and traveled to a remote part of the city. She was in disguise as a typical street walker, a good cover if anyone approached her asking questions. She was on a mission to meet someone that night, and she didn't want anyone to see her. The city looked bare, except for an occasional wino littering the streets.

She stayed silent but kept her eyes open, until she heard someone approach. "Mystique," she heard the deep voice of a man, her shape changed back to her true self. She had a cloak on and lowered the hood to reveal her blue face and yellow eyes. Her true form would have terrified most people but this man didn't even flinch.

She stepped into the dark alleyway eager to begin her meeting with the mysterious man. "Why have you summoned me?"

"It's about my daughter," Mystique said, and the man's gnarled face perked up. "I think she may be remembering."

"I told you there was a chance of that," he said.

"How do I stop it?" Mystique asked. "I can't allow her to remember certain things."

"There is a way," he said and reached into his pocket. "Take this and give her one teaspoon a day. It is a temporary fix, and will wear off, but it is the only way."

"Is this addictive?" she asked.

"Why, yes," he said with a laugh. "Over time she will not be able to function without it, but your secrets will be safe." She held up the bottle of clear liquid. "She need not know you are even drugging her." She perked up at the man's words as she studied the bottle. "Just slip it into her drink once a day," he instructed as she slipped the bottle in the inside pocket of her coat. "She will only remember what you want her to."

"Thank you," she said and reached into her pocket to retrieve his payment. Her hand clenched into a fist with a few bills peeking out. She passed him the currency after looking around to make sure no one was watching.

She left the alley that night and returned home within the hour. Once inside the house she made sure no one was still lurking about downstairs. After realizing no one was around, she entered her office and locked the door. She stared at the bottle for a long while, wondering if she could really go through with it. Could she drug her own daughter? It seemed such a small thing compared to what she had already done, but she had done it for her daughter's own good. That's what she told herself, so this was no different. Rogue would remain hers... just as long as she didn't remember. She had made her decision.

That's the end of this chapter. Mystique is really showing her true colors, but Rogue is about to get some help. Can you guess from who? Be here next time to find out.